Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

When I review the files from my own office of people who I have represented, time after time one sees that while a passport should have been issued on a particular date according to the tracker on the website, somebody's departure date is coming up within a few days and there is still no sign of the passport. As I have said, I am grateful for the fact that the Department has been able to help out in such cases.

On additional resources, are all 230 staff members now in place? The Minister said that some of them are still being recruited. The Minister has said that there is going to be a passport reform programme - which includes the online application which was launched just a few days ago - but it includes a ten-working day turnaround when even the 15-working day turnaround does not seem to be working. There are also complaints from constituents saying that access to the Passport Office itself also needs reform. Our constituents often turn to us as Deputies because they are simply unable to reach the office by telephone or e-mail. The lack of contact obviously adds to the stress. I note that in the UK it seems to take just about three weeks to get a passport in a country of 65 million people. In Germany it takes four to six weeks. We need further reforms.

See this speech in context